good morning, america. and courtroom shocker. the explosive opening day in the trial of michael jackson's doctor. haunting recordings from the king of pop, just before he died. >> i want them to say, he's the greatest entertainer in the world. >> all the latest details, as the bodyguard who was there as michael jackson died, gets ready to take the stand. candidate countdown. the two biggest holdouts in the republican race, teasing right down to the wire. supporters beg chris christie to run at the reagan library. sarah palin says the shackles of a campaign might be too much. so, will they jump in? or stay out? "gma" exclusive. the sisters of amanda knox make

what they hope will be their last visit to her in prison, as they wait to see if she will finally go free or stay behind bars. and the pooch who brought an entire interstate to a standstill, all caught on tape. mango the dog's great escape. and what finally brought her home. lock the door in mango's house today. that was something else. >> it was. >> on the west coast. but what a start also to that michael jackson trial. just hearing that tape is so eerie. and the prosecutors came right out of the box with that horrifying picture of michael jackson dead. the entire courtroom shocked and transfixed. >> there was no warning. boom. it was up so quickly. and a major development in another story we've been tracking. the husband of susan powell, losing custody of his two sons to his missing wife's parents.

and the decision on permanent custody could come today. another couple booted from the ballroom. we're going to talk to value and elisabetta live. our first day of the conrad murray trial. jim avila covered it all from l.a. good morning, jim. >> reporter: the courthouse is standard government gray. but it lit up in the drama of a hollywood stage in day one of conrad murray's trial. it ends like his fans never heard before. we warn you that one of the pictures released by the prosecutors is graphic. the jury saw the michael jackson we all knew. the king of pop in rare footage of his last time ever on stage. rehearsing for the this is it tour, the day before he died. and they saw this, michael jackson in full death mask, on a

hospital gurney, killed, say prosecutors, by the unskilled hands and gross negligence of his personal doctor, dr. conrad murray. >> he left him there, abandoned him, to fend for himself. >> reporter: prosecutors telling the jury, dr. murray should have known his client was out of control. for the first time, revealing this voice memo from jackson. >> i want them to say, i've never seen nothing like this in my life. >> reporter: but prosecutors say is the sound of a 50-year-old drug-addled entertainer, highly under the influence, while under the direct care of the man accused of killing him. >> we have to be phenomenal. >> reporter: a month and a half before michael jackson dies, he makes a voice memo on his doctor's iphone. >> i want them to say, he's the greatest in the world. >> reporter: the recording, shocking to those who pack the courthouse. but prosecutors say, more importantly, it should have

shocked dr. conrad murray. >> and what did he do with that knowledge? he orders another shipment of propofol. >> reporter: but the defense says the doctor was actually trying to wean jackson off propofol, had cut the dosage. and it was jackson, while murray was out of the room, who delivered the final, fatal dose. >> michael jackson self-administered a perfect storm in his body, that killed him instantly. ♪ tell them that it's human nature ♪ >> reporter: meantime, the trial's first witness, also brought the trial's first real emotion. kenny ortega, the director for the this is it tour. >> you learned there was a very serious issue with michael taking place? >> yes, i did. >> and what did he tell you? >> that we lost him. >> reporter: today on the witness stand, more emotion, as those are the heartbreak of

whose who watched over him but could not prevent his death. his bodyguard and personal assistant. we're going to bring in legal analyst dan abrams. we saw kenny ortega on the stand. >> he doesn't talk about the actual death itself. but when you're talking about gross negligence or recklessness, the standard is so undefined that hearing from someone like ortega, talk about the fact that he had gone to dr. murray and warned him about the situation. dr. murray blows him off. i do think that becomes very important in a case like this. >> what stood out to you most in the opening statements? >> from the prosecution, the amount of propofol. hundreds and hundreds of bottles of propofol. again, this is a drug that's not supposed to be administered for sleep. from the defense, on the other hand, i was struck by the fact they're taking a very aggressive position. they're saying, he didn't die from the propofol. he died when dr. murray stopped giving him propofol. >> isn't that risky? >> that is a little risky. but his take is he was trying to

wean him off of propofol. and in essence, jackson was trying to prevent dr. murray from doing it. but to say he died from stop giving him propofol, very aggressive position. >> just putting the picture of michael jackson's death. seeing him on the gurney. the audiotape, hearing his voice. how did that play on both sides? >> i think the prosecutors want to make sure these jurors realize that this is about michael jackson's gruesome death. and i think that's what the picture shows. you're right. you can argue with regard to the audiotape, that there's a sense that michael jackson was on this sort of downward spiral. and maybe there's nothing that dr. murray could have done. but when you're his doctor, and you have a guy who is talking like that, and you continue to administer propofol, that's exactly what the prosecution's case is about. they're saying that is the definition of gross negligence. and so, i do think it becomes an important point for prosecutors.

>> we heard in jim's report, the security guard going on the stand today. you think that is very key. >> absolutely. he's the one who arrives at the scene and sees how dr. murray deals with it. we heard about this in the preliminary hearing. he's going to talk about the fact that dr. murray asked if someone knew cpr. he's going to talk about how frantic dr. murray was. when you talk about negligence or gross recklessness, those things become important. >> already in this trial, day one opened our eyes. thanks, dan. time, now, for politics. your voice, your vote. and all eyes, now, on the two republican powerhouses shaping this race from the sidelines. chris christie, sarah palin. will they or won't they? lots of hints from both last night. and abc's jon karl paid lots of attention to every word. chris christie's words are a rorschach test. you see what you want to see. you hear what you want to hear. >> reporter: and the most

important thing is what you did not hear. chris christie has repeatedly said he is not going to run for president. but last night at the reagan library, republicans begged him to reconsider. and this time, he did not say no. >> my italian mother, she told me to tell you, that you've got to run for president. >> reporter: the event turned into a full-blown recruitment session. first, from a self-described jersey girl now living in california. >> if i make you proud to be a new jerseyan and proud to be an american, and your italian mother wants me to run for president, what the hell are you doing in california? get back to new jersey. let's go. >> reporter: even sounded like a campaigner. listen to what he said about president obama. >> when there is a problem, you fix it. that's the job we've been sent to do. and you cannot wait for someone else to do it when you're sitting in the oval office. >> reporter: over the past several months, christie has said over and over again that he is not going to run. and at the reagan library last night, he referred his audience

to an online compilation of his denials. >> everyone go to politico.com. it's on the front page. i'm not going to bore you with it right now. those are the answers. >> you still say categorically you're not running in 2012? >> i'm not going to run. i don't feel i'm ready to run. not going to happen. >> reporter: this crowd would not take no for an answer. >> i implore you, as a citizen of this country, to please, sir, reconsider. don't say anything tonight. go home and really think about it. please. >> reporter: clearly touched by the reaction, christie did not say yes. but this time, he did not say no, either. >> i thank you for what you're saying. an i take it in. and i'm listening to every word of it and feeling it, too. >> reporter: just after christie finished, sarah palin appeared on fox news, saying she is still considering a run for president. but worries that a campaign might limit her freedom to be a maverick. >> the title and the campaign

too shackling? does that prohibit me from being out there, out of a box, not allowing handlers to shape me and force my message to be what donors or what contributors or what political pundits want it to be. >> reporter: sources close to christie tell me he is, in fact, reconsidering his earlier statements, emphatic statements, that he isn't going to run. >> and it sure sounded like sarah palin was laying the groundwork for a no. and you have the filing deadline in the big states by the end of the month. >> reporter: that's right. and i talked to people close to christie about this. they are keenly aware of that. the window of opportunity is closing quickly. the way they look at it, they have a week or two at the most. now, let's bring in josh elliott and the other top stories developing now. >> good morning to all of you. we're going to begin with the death toll rising this morning from the listeria outbreak traced from contaminated cantaloupe from colorado. as many as 16 deaths are claimed

on the bacteria. it's the deadliest food outbreak in more than a decade. with workers already toiling in the bleakest economy in generations, new figures show they're being forced to shoulder even higher health insurance costs. family plans rose an average of 9%, in the wake of new federal health care legislation. and over the last decade, premiums have doubled. the obama administration fighting to keep classified photos of osama bin laden hidden from the public. a conservative watchdog is filing a lawsuit, demanding dozens of pictures and videos of bin laden after his death be released. in response, the government argued this week that releasing the images would inflame anti-american sentiment and pose a national security risk. and did you ever wonder what "60 minutes" would be without andy rooney. that's the best i could do. will deliver his final weekly

essay this sunday. the 92-year-old rooney. it will be his 1,097th essay since joining the show back in july of 1978. he actually first began work at cbs in 1949. >> wow. >> and he will be missed. >> he sure will. you have about 50 years to catch up. >> yeah. >> thanks, josh. hey there, sam. >> good morning, everybody. and andy rooney is a little squeakier, josh. that's it. that's it. that's rooney. let's start with the house guest that has been staying around unwanted for a long time. it's that revolving area of low pressure. chicago has had measurable rain for the last five days. looks like there's some showers again. that rain extends up the eastern seaboard. look at it from florida, well up into new york state. scranton, pennsylvania, 2 inches of rain in 15 minutes. that's the kind of rain we'll see in western pennsylvania and central new york today. five states have flood watches and warnings in the mid-atlantic. here's where the gorgeous temperatures are again.

but a little too warm and dry. dallas and san antonio, back in the 90s. can you believe it's this hot in denver? about 89 degrees. 93 in sacramento again today. there's a quick look at the big board.

>> watch how we do this. we'll have more weather in the next half hour. robin? josh? george? >> oh, nice. >> huh? >> you make it your own. >> very subtle. >> i'll work on it. >> there we go. now, to amanda knox. so close to finding out if she's finally going free. george had a chance to speak to her sisters just a few moment ago. first, "20/20" co-anchor, elizabeth vargas, has been tracking the case from the beginning. and joins us again from perugia, with the latest. good morning, elizabeth. >> reporter: good morning, robin. amanda knox's defense lawyers will be the last attorneys to address the court. then, of course, will come the

statement from amanda knox herself. a statement she's been working on for several months. yesterday, the judge signaled the court may know already how it's going to rule in this case. saying they would need a very short amount of time to render a verdict after they hear that statement from amanda knox. a verdict that could come as soon as saturday. amanda knox's parents, stepparents, aunt and sisters paid what they hope will be the final visit to the ka panny prison this morning. for four years, at least one member of the family has made the weekly trip to the prison reception room, where choosing where to sit is a gamble. your dad said, we have to be careful which table we choose because people have -- >> scratched in things about amanda and her family. one time, there was something right in front of me. so, i put my arm over it. >> reporter: what had they written? >> amanda is a whore. >> reporter: it's that public opinion that defense lawyers argue the italian police created. in court, one defense attorney

compared knox to the cartoon character, jessica rabbit, who has a favorite line. >> i'm not bad. i'm just drawn that way. >> reporter: they argued amanda knox isn't a bad person. you just created her to look this way. >> absolutely. and that's what we've been saying from day one. the person that you all are making and talking about is not our daughter. >> reporter: journalist, judy baccarat, confirms the police leaks. >> they didn't like her sex life. they released to the press, and i know because i was part of the press, anything they could that would show her to be hard-hearted, callous, a guaranteed murderer. >> reporter: knox looked optimistic in court yesterday, when the judge said, if you have any doubt about the evidence, you must set her free. her mother said she saw her smile yesterday for the first time in a long time. >> i said, can you feel it? can you feel the light? >> reporter: so excited that for today's visit to prison, perhaps the last visit to prison, they

brought no customary tokens of food or books. they are hoping to bring amanda knox out of these gates within days. one follow-up to our report from yesterday about that lawyer who showed the gruesome photos of the murder victim, meredith kercher, in open court. i asked him last night if he had permission from the kercher family to do so. and he admitted that he did not. and he made a mistake. he undoubtedly increased the pain for the kercher family. george, the court proceedings, closing arguments, resume tomorrow morning. >> thanks, elizabeth. and for more on this, we have a "gma" exclusive. amanda knox's sisters, deanna, ashley and delaney. all joining us from italy this morning. thanks for coming on this morning. it's so great to see all of you. deanna, amanda looked pretty optimistic in court. how was she when you saw her? >> she was feeling really good. i think we got past all of the hard stuff in the last couple of days. so, we finally started the good

days with all of the defense. and she was really happy that that process has begun. >> and delaney, you haven't been able to see your sister in more than two years. what was it like to spend some time with her? >> i cherish every moment i get with her. but i'm hoping for the best. and things are going good. >> what did you all talk about? >> we talked about school and friends. and our feelings and what's going on and everything in life, i guess. >> and, ashley, that whole scene outside the prison seems pretty overwhelming. >> yeah. it is. i'm not used to the cameras in my face. but it was good seeing her. i'm glad we could be able to be there with her. >> did you ever -- a real chance to connect with her this morning? >> yeah. we did. but it's hard to have everything being said in just an hour. >> deanna, in the courtroom, right now, there have been some difficult moments.

we saw you talking about that graffiti, which has just got to be so hard to read. >> it's really difficult being in there because we don't have an interpreter that the court gives us or anything. so, we honestly have no idea a lot of the time what's going on until someone tells us. we have to read from everybody else and look at amanda and look at her lawyers to what's going on. so, it makes life a little difficult in there. >> what did you think when you saw those photos? those autopsy photos? >> i was surprised and shocked. it was the first time that they didn't ask the courtroom to be cleared. i know it's not something i would like to see. amanda told me a lot about meredith before everything happened. and she seemed like a sweet girl. and if that was someone in my family, i would never want that to happen. so, i was a little shocked by his actions to show those pictures. >> and when you saw and spoke with amanda today, did you have a chance to talk about the statement she wants to make?

>> we did get to talk to her a little bit about that. she really wants to show the court who she really is. she doesn't want them to believe the character that mignini and all of the prosecutors have played out. she wants the court to know who she is. and she may go with that. >> delaney and ashley, if all goes well, your sister will be home real soon. what's the first thing you want to do with her? >> catch up on the four years that we missed, her not being there. and do some fun things that we both loved to do. >> the first thing that i want to do with her is probably hug her and catch up on things. and just do a lot more with her. and try to spend every moment that i get with her. >> okay. well, good luck with all that. and thanks for joining us this morning. >> thank you. >> we could know what happens on saturday. >> so anxious to hear. coming up on "gma," the husband of susan powell, losing custody of his kids while josh powell is under investigation right now. and cheating ring.

what may be the biggest s.a.t. scandal ever. and hot property. why rihanna was ordered off the and hot property. why rihanna was ordered off the farm by the farmer. [ monica ] i have a part in a big movie. i thought we'd be on location for 3 days, it's been 3 weeks. so, i used my citi simplicity card to pick up a few things. and i don't have to worry about a late fee. which is good... no! bigger! bigger! [ monica ] ...because i don't think we're going anywhere for a while. [ male announcer ] write your story with the new citi simplicity card. no late fees. no penalty rate. no worries. get started at citisimplicity.com. [ laughs ] [ laughs ] [ laughs ] that's awesome. you can read that? ♪ [ female announcer ] the accufit digital system, exclusively at lenscrafters... is about 5 times more precise than manual measurement techniques. lenscrafters.

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now maryland's most powerful to lar radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. good morning. 7:26. good news is we don't have the fog we dealt with yesterday. the bad news is we have been tracking the storm collection now rolling out of virginia and the timeline is working out hitting southern maryland is hitting d.c. from the south

side alexandria and crossing the potomac across the southwest part of the beltway and we will try to time it out could be reaching annapolis and howard county and western getting wet downtown baltimore arcane role county looking at this thing trying to slide into the area. overall plan for storms to arrive from this cluster. looks like a little circulation enhancing this and feegd off the south eastern winds. harford cecil county time frame is later in the commute orion the commute. but this could reach you and we will watch more storms firing up throughout the day. some will continue to heavy downpours one to two inches per hour producing local flooding and there's a slight risk storms turn severe with an isolated tornado. storms continue with patchy fog and 64. and then we will look for the big cool down low 60s this weaning end. tanya. >> reporter: -- weekend. >> reporter: -- weekend tan yars rough vehicle fire past owings mills so be careful passing.

let's look live at the beltway. things are slowing down in the northwest side. this is at old court road near 795. it will be slow around toward edmonton avenue. looking at 95, north of white marsh boulevard, the slowdown is to the right of the screen. that is the southbound traffic heading towards the beltway. we have an accident reported 95 southbound before the beltway and that is over on the left shoulder. but it's really starting to back things up as you can see. northbound traffic no problems to report. we will send you back to new york and "good morning america."

♪ what's gonna make me feel what do you think of those pictures? that is rihanna, of course, filming a video out in ireland. she is on a farm. the farmer thought what she was wearing was a little too revealing and kicked her off of his property. >> did he now? >> he did. the latest on that, coming up. >> we will. and a big twist for josh powell, the husband of missing mom, susan powell. he lost custody of his kids to susan's parents. he is under investigation right now. but has he lost custody for good? >> we could find out today. and kids out here in long island, in big trouble. >> ooh, are they. >> they got caught trying to cheat on the s.a.t.s. there were several involved. one of them, that boy right there, may go to jail for it.

>> we don't usually see it. but they're taking a firm stand this time. let's get to the new twists in the case of missing mom, susan powell. her husband is part of a criminal investigation involving his father. and a judge could make a decision today on who would get permanent custody of the couple's two boys. abbie boudreau has the latest and joins us again from seattle. good morning, abbie. >> reporter: good morning, robin. police are now saying josh powell is the subject of the same investigation that landed his father in jail last week. josh powell sat in court tuesday, desperately trying to keep custody of his two sons. but the assistant attorney general came out swinging, announcing powell is now the subject of a criminal investigation. >> josh powell is the subject of the child pornography and voyerism charges that were filed against the grandfather, steven powell. so, he's the subject of that investigation. >> reporter: police arrested josh's father, 61-year-old

steven powell, last week, charging him with counts of voyerism and child pornography. they say he secretly took thousands of lewd photographs of women and young girls, including susan powell. investigators say they found the images on steven powell's computer and dvds, inside the same home he shared with josh and the couple's two, young sons. >> i had no indication of wrongdoing, nor the indication that there could have been wrongdoing on my father's part. >> reporter: steven powell has pleaded not guilty. in court yesterday, susan powell's father, chuck cox, argued his grandchildren should live with him and his wife, saying josh powell has tried to keep his sons away from them. >> those kids may know something. and he sure, as a dickens, doesn't want these kids talking to anybody who could help identify what it is they do know. >> reporter: a teary and emotional josh powell defended himself. >> i love my sons. yesterday, i had a visit with my

sons, who provides the cps office. they came in. they ran and played. and they repeatedly jumped on my lap and came over to hug me. >> reporter: the coxs were given temporary custody of the 4-year-old and 6-year-old boys. later this morning, a judge is supposed to make a final determination in the case. robin? >> abbie, thank you. joining us from seattle, is attorney ann bremner. she represents chuck and judy cox. appreciate you spending some time with us this morning, ann. >> good morning. thank you. >> you're very welcome. we know the coxs had a chance to spend time with their grandsons last night. how did that go? >> well, chuck, when i talked to him, was almost giddy. and i represented chuck and judy for a long time. and i'd never heard him that way or seen him that way before.

so, it's a fantastic result of some pretty tragic and stunning developments in this case. but they're so excited because they haven't been able to see their grandkids in a long, long time. >> i know. that must have been something for them to see them again. we know that the custody hearing continues today. we know in the past that the cox family, they have tried desperately to get custody of their two grandsons. and that has not been the case. would imagine think they it's going to be different now because josh is under investigation, in linking with his father's arrest. >> exactly. so, this morning, what we expect to see is that they will have custody of their grandsons. and i think it's important to note, the grandparents don't really have rights in this country, with respect to custody of grandchildren. and this changed, of course, robin, because the state got involved and took these kids into protective custody. now, chuck and judy will have their grandsons. and hopefully, they'll continue for a long time. and the boys are safe. and that's the most important

thing. they're safe and they're loved. >> i'm glad you said that. that's what everybody wants. they're 4 and 6 years old. that's what everybody wants them to be safe where they are. you know josh's side of the story. he is concerned, and he told the judge, that if they're handed over to the grandparents, that he claims they have said some awful things about him to his children. and that is the main reason why he does not want them to be with chuck and judy. >> i mean, if he really cares about the safety and the -- everything for the children to be happy and well-adjusted, that should be the least of his worries. the fact is, they need to be some place safe and some place they're loved. and chuck and judy have not said that, robin. they've been so careful, i'm sure you've talked to them on the air. where they say we don't want to point fingers. and they don't want to jeopardize the investigation.

they don't want to say anything to these kids in any way make them uneasy about their dad or anything else. they just want to take care of them. they just want to see them. they just want to hug those kids. >> and how are they holding up? these last two years, it's been like a rollercoaster for them. >> it has. they are dogged. they have the purple ribbons, your favorite color, that they always wear. the t-shirts for susan. and they're looking for susan. they want to keep her name out there. any information that anyone has about suen comes forward. and they will do that until she's found. >> tell chuck and judy that we're thinking of them and the entire situation. a and we're, of course, thinking of those two, little boys. 4 and 6 years old. and thank you very much. >> thank you. it means so much. thank you. time, now, for the weather. let's get back over to sam. >> good morning, robin. good morning, george, everyone. dust storm traffic in the west

is a fact of life out there. particularly in arizona. take a look of these pictures out of picacho. the dust storm comes up so quickly they don't have time to respond to it. 13-car pileup there. look at the size of that thing. things are so hot and dry here. palm springs at 100 today. vegas at 95. a good possibility of scattered thunderstorms which can be dry and kick up the thunderstorms. but on the coastline, the western air doesn't make it that far. 81 in l.a. 78 in san francisco. look at the difference between the l.a. area and fresno. even san diego, a little cooler at 72 degrees. here's a look at the big board today. it's nice and mild in the middle of the country. i can't get over 89 in denver today. a little steamy and showers on the eastern seaboard.

all that weather was brought to you by walgreens. robin? george? >> sam, thank you. coming up, is this the biggest high school cheating scandal ever? the students who tried to beat the system and got caught. ♪ my walgreens pharmacist recommends bubble gum flavor... and patience. mine recommends antacid tablets -- and only one taco. [ female announcer ] walgreens pharmacists also recommend you try walgreens brand health & wellness products. they have the same active ingredients as other brands and cost less. and now you can save big on walgreens brand pain relief products. through october 1st, buy one, get one free. walgreens. there's an everyday way to well. gives you a 50% annual bonus! so you earn 50% more cash. according to research, everybody likes more cash. well, almost everybody... ♪ would you like 50% more cash?

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so important, some spend months cramming for it. six students in new york tried to get an extra edge by having someone else take the test. that young man may go to jail. and linsey davis has been tracking the latest. >> reporter: good morning, george. such an outrageous case. two of the six students are still in high school. and they put all of the money for a prep course right into a student's pocket to take the test for them. and the 19-year-old student, according to the d.a., got away with it by taking the test at a center where the students could be identified. cheating on a high school test doesn't typically result in handcuffs. but that's what sam eshaghoff now tfaces, after he and six students were caught in what prosecutors are calling an s.a.t. cheating scandal. prosecutors say six students from great neck north high school in new york paid eshaghoff between $1,500 and

$2,500 to take the well-known college entrance exam. the sophomore, seen here on facebook, allegedly presented fake i.d.s with the students' names but his photo. >> there was such a disparity between the s.a.t. scores and the gpa that these particular students had. >> reporter: prosecutors say eshaghoff's average score on each of the three sections of the test was 728 out of 800. that score of about 2,200 is in the 97th percentile of all test-takers. hollywood has played similar story lines before. >> desperate times call for desperate measures. >> reporter: movies like "the perfect score," show what a nightmare cheating can be for students. the high school where the students are from, great neck north, just happens to be among the most prestigious in the

country. how much pressure is there to perform well on the s.a.t.? >> a lot. >> in this school, in this town, a lot of pressure. you have to do well. >> reporter: eshaghoff's lawyer says the school, not the d.a., should have handled the case. >> never had a case go to criminal court because of cheating on an exam or alleged cheating on an exam. >> reporter: eshaghoff has pleaded not guilty. prosecutors haven't released the names of the six students charged, saying they were minors when the tests were taken. they also claim that eshaghoff didn't charge the female student for taking the test for her. according to the d.a., more oversight is necessary to the degree that he was able to even show up as a male and take the test as a female. >> amazing they can get away with it. >> reporter: she did have a gender-neutral name. that helped the fact. but you would think there would be the double-check there. >> you would think. linsey davis, thanks very much. coming up, little puppy causes a big problem. mango the dog brought an entire interstate to a halt.

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well, you saw this a little earlier. traffic coming to a standstill in portland, oregon, monday. all because a pomeranian got out and stayed out. mango the dog, escaping on the crowded interstate. it was all caught on tape. and abc's neal karlinsky has the puppy play-by-play. >> reporter: it's not exactly a high-speed chase. but the all-out effort to grab this little pomeranian named mango, more or less paralyzed portland traffic. >> we need help out here on i-84 westbound. there's a dog on the freeway. ♪ >> reporter: down the shoulder she goes. up the shoulder she goes. into this suv. nope. she's on the run again. in hot pursuit, hopping from car-to-car, with the help of sympathetic motorists, her owner, dan dowdy, chasing her with a coat when, bam, down he

goes, face-first. mango moves to the right. then, to the left. then, down goes dowdy. >> just asphalt. i tripped over my own feet. i lunged forward to throw the blanket. well, you see what happened. >> reporter: the pooch squeezed out of her collar when dowdy was taking her to see her human mom. after plugging portland's i-84 for 15 minutes, mango swung off an exit ramp and found her way to this little spot behind a bush. dowdy, recovering from his wall, doesn't do much better this time. >> come here. come, mango. come here. come see momma. >> reporter: he calls in the only person who could bring this chase to a conclusion. >> come here. >> reporter: mango, just wanted her mom. for "good morning america," neal karlinsky, abc news, seattle. >> aw. >> aw. >> so, i guess all is well that

ended well. although, that may have raised more questions than it answered. >> mango, a bit of a free spirit. >> i might be a little -- it's tougher with mango when she comes home after all that. still to come, the latest couple booted from the ballroom. and why a farmer said rihanna was too racy to film on his farm. all ahead. what's the best time to remodel your home, brought to you by allied bank. true or false? the fall months are the best time to get good deals on remodeling your home? so, what's the answer? find out at abcnews.com/gma and share your experience. you can't change the way banking works. just accept it, man. free ? doesn't close at five ? try nature. it's a bank. what do you want, a hug ? just accept it. hidden fees, fine print, or they'll stick it to you some other way. stay with the herd, son. accept it. just accept it. accept it. just accept it. accept it. if we miss this movie, you're dead. if you're stuck accepting banking nonsense, you need an ally. ally bank.

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the newest plastic surgery trend for women who want to look great from behind. now maryland's most powerful to lar radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. we are watching maryland's most powerful doppler radar. the line of storms coming out of virginia meeting -- meaning business. now we watch the time frame across central maryland. heavy storms pushing into pg, montgomery county and now entering southern sections of charles st. mary's county and annapolis the time frame you could get clipped by the storms better chance up towards laurel and 95 over the next half-hour. yes howard county gets it and we could get it in the baltimore beltway over the next hour and that's what we will

track throughout the hour. this cluster sliding through just a sign of the volatile environment and a lot of humidity to help support a lot of moisture. some of the storms could dump one to two inch of rain rates per hour but we look at lightning and isolated twister could pop up with a small risk of severe storms this afternoon. 78 will do it for the two degree guaranteed high and dropping into mid-60s a chance of showers and storms overnight. here's traffic before the rain arrives here's tanya. >> reporter: i will startate out with a car fire clear 795 north bound past franklin boulevard. outer loop is slow bel air road to the 83s. let's look at northwest side, this is the live traffic camera at old court road. reisterstown road to edmonton is where you see slowdown. jfx southbound at northern parkway, we have stop and go traffic. and it will be stop and go from the beltway to the 41st street overpass. this is what it looks like at coldspring lane. that volume continues. and it will start to ease a little bit and start to speed

up once you get to the 41st street overpass. as you get to north avenue, you're doing okay there. the oncoming traffic heading southbound downtown. we will send it back to new york and "good morning america." see you in a half-hour.

♪ [ cheers and applause ] there's been some tension behind the scenes, but what chemistry on the dance floor. the judges liked their quick-step. a lot better this week. but it wasn't enough to keep them in the competition. they're the second couple booted off "dancing with the stars." we'll talk to them live this morning. >> they do. can't wait to talk to them. also, a lot of women wanted to look like pippa after she walked down the aisle at her sister's wedding. >> how come, robin? >> now, her new look has launched a new trend in plastic surgery.

and we'll get into that. all that. you'll know what the pause is, when you see in "the pop news index." >> and the silence from josh, sam and i. also, we're going to talk about rihanna. she is under fire from a farmer. why he ordered her off of his property, for being just a little too racy. >> i don't know if that was -- >> that's the shoot. that's the shoot you're talking about. i don't know what happened. we'll find out. first, some other news. josh? >> a lot of headlines to get to. good morning, all of you. michael jackson's bodyguard and personal assistant are expected to take the stand today in the manslaughter trial of michael jackson's doctor, conrad murray. the prosecution showed disturbing pictures of jackson on a hospital gurney, while arguing that murray gave jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol and left him alone to die.

they also played a voicemail of an allegedly drugged jackson, slurring his words, while talking about his fans. >> i want them to say, he's the greatest entertainer in the world. >> murray's attorneys claim jackson gave himself that fatal dose of propofol. meanwhile, after months of saying that he will not enter the race, sources tell abc news that new jersey governor, chris k christie is reconsidering a white house run. that follows his high-profile speech at the reagan library last night, where he criticized president obama and congress, and then addressing the crowd, which pleaded with him to run, christie left the door slightly open for himself. >> i thank you for what you're saying. and i take it in. i'm listening to every word of it and feeling it, too. >> christie will attend a republican fund-raiser in beverly hills today. it is officially, meanwhile, the deadliest food outbreak in a

decade. 16 deaths have being traced to contaminated cantaloupes grown in colorado. the melons were shipped to two dozen states between july 29th and september 10th. on wall street today, the week's climb could come to an abrupt end. today, investors are growing more concerned about the continuing debt crisis in europe because of conflicting signals from european leaders on just how and if to bail out greece. and lightning being blamed for sparking a large wildfire on a hollywood movie set near austin, texas. several buildings used to film the 2004 movie, "the alamo" were destroyed. also this morning, the insurance industry had good news for suv drivers and for everyone else on the road, that matter. fatality rates and crashes involving suvs have dropped a staggering 60% in recent years. thanks largely to design changes

that make them less dangerous to other cars. crash figures show one's chances of surviving a crash are roughly the same, whether you're hit by a suv or a regular car. and a major toy recall to tell you about this morning. nearly 2 million toy workshops and tool tests made by little tikes are being recalled. the big concern is the oversized plastic nail that come with the packages that pose a choking hazard. our website, abcnews.com, has full details on the recall. now, here's diane sawyer with a preview of tonight's "world news." diane? >> good morning, to you, josh. tonight, a baby-boomer with a very big lesson for everyone about reinventing yourself. started out as a hobby. then, a passion, a profession and a whole, new life. secrets for finding your second act. it's coming up tonight on "world news." i'll see you then. finally, a bizarre snapshot of a freak accident in new zealand. take a look at what happened to a horse as it ended up in the

backseat of a mangled car. the horse was in the middle of the road when the driver hit him coming around a corner. look at the damage to the car. the driver walked away from this accident. the police had to get the jaws of life to get the horse out of the backseat. >> is the horse okay? >> the horse was okay. george, i've seen -- i don't know. >> i don't see how either one could. >> it's incredible. everybody walked away. the car, worse for wear. >> between the horse and mango. a lot going on today. i'm stressed out. let's talk about pop news now, shall we? betty white, still hot. and she wants you to know it. the 89-year-old phenom has recorded a remix of british pop star, luciano's single, "i'm so hot." the video has bett muscle-bound studs, and a boa

constrictor. saying, i will get you sweaty because i'm the big betty. from fabulous betty to fast sweaters. new yorker andrew salmoni has taken knitting to a new level. he has created a machine that can knit anything. his masterpiece, where are you? come on, bill. it's an infinite regression bill cosby sweater. it's an image of bill cosby wearing a sweater with an image of bill cosby wearing a sweater. and he will not rest until it's worn by -- yes. you know the rihanna song, "don't stop the music"? a farmer in northern ireland isn't hearing it. he did just that when rihanna got a little risque on his property. the singer was shooting her

video, "we found love," and was thrown off his land when she began taking off her clothes. the farmer, a devout christian, said it was just getting inappropriate. he admitted later he had no idea who rihanna was. and said, there are no hard feelings between them. and here we go with the bad pun. too bad she couldn't have covered up with an umbrella. moving on? i got nothing. this will help. the cutest pictures we've ever seen. 12 adorable cubs. what a big handful for their handlers at the giant panda breeding center in southwest china, where the efforts are paying off, by the looks of it. the cubs look ready to rock. they're all sound asleep. and there's one rascal who is wide-awake. hopefully we get the wide shot. the pictures this morning are causing pandemonium. around here.

>> hiding behind the cute panda is for so long. >> you're still thinking about the umbrella? thank you. thanks, everybody. sam, save her. >> i don't know what to do. i don't know. i have no idea. >> talk about mango. >> oh, come on. mango is fine. the horse, josh? >> fine. >> i'm not convinced. >> fine. >> i think -- >> fine. would i lie to you, sam? >> well? >> well. >> to me? maybe. to the rest of the world, i don't think so. let's get to the boards. one or two things going on we want to talk about. as far as the low pressure goes, as it pulls into the east coast, this rain just isn't going to go away until that thing clears the coastline. and it takes its time to do that. by the weekend, the east coast is getting cooler, drier air. watch the rain in pennsylvania and in western new york state. here's a shot of philadelphia this morning. had some heavy rain earlier in the morning. on the overnight, the airport's running a little behind this morning. about a 30-minute delay. but probably, now that they're in a dry spot, just because of

the earlier rain in that area. and that will happen for a while today. behind that comes the cold blast. that's finally what's going to kick that low. it's been sitting there for a week. out of the way. minneapolis, 58 degrees, by the time you get to friday. chicago, 59 degrees. oklahoma city cools down the 90s today to the 80s. finally, friday into the 70s. this is that cool shot of air that gets into the middle of the country. it doesn't settle into deep texas. but eventually, the deep pockets of air will get to the deep sout

>> that's the weather around the nation. more weather in the next half hour. oh, lara? >> all right, sam. >> just a moment. sam, i know you'll be too modest to show this sign. sam and josh, you are hot, hot, hot. >> yes, you are. >> bring that lady inside. ma'am, come inside. >> george? >> where's the marker? where's the marker? >> come on. >> that's it. >> there's another one. >> yesterday, i accidentally spilled some chips on you. and i watched the show back with sarina yesterday. and she asked me, why did you spill on sam? i'm sorry. >> we asked the same question. >> so sweet. glad he did that. >> okay.

all right. let's talk about the "gma morning menu," shall we? here's what's coming up. pippa middleton's bottom line. why women are having plastic surgery to turn heads just like she did at the wedding. was the ballroom's hottest couple booted off "dancing with the stars." they make a final stop, where? right here on "gma." and sizzling with emeril in the house. making one-pot dishes that will fire up your family's table. [ female announcer ] introducing new pronutrients from centrum. omega-3s go beyond heart health. probiotics go beyond digestive balance. and fruit & veggie has antioxidant properties. new pronutrients from centrum. help make nutrition possible.

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great crowd outside. and i -- can't get enough of the sign. yes, you are hot. yeah. and george is, too. welcome back to "gma," everybody. with our local hunks. and the royal wedding was about five months ago now. and what was your lasting memory of that special day? was it the kiss on the balcony? or perhaps the backside of the maid of honor. pippa's posterior has legs, so to speak. and andrea canning is here to talk about how far some women will go to get pippa's perk. >> reporter: good morning, lara. just when you thought you had heard it all, there's a surgery called the pippa butt-lift. the surgeon prefers fat from your stomach to your rear-end, a plus for some women. but is it worth it? we followed women who dreamed of looking like pippa from the backside, through the entire

process. take a look. ♪ it was the royal wedding of a lifetime, prince william and kate middleton. but it wasn't exactly the bride who stole the show. it was the bride's sister, pippa. and the jury's in. she has the best royal seat in the house. ♪ blogs, newspapers, even a facebook fan site have cropped up in appreciation of pippa middleton's bootee. and as it turns out, if you want her butt, you can actually have it. it's called the pippa butt-lift. and it's being offered by plastic surgeons around the world. she has opened the door to those who want a shapely rear-end without the large size. ♪ i like big butts and i cannot lie ♪ ♪ you other brothers can't e deny ♪ >> reporter: the king-sized can came to the forefront in the early '90s, with the launch of sir-mix-a-lot's "baby got back." years later, j. lo and kim

kardashian have inspired women to go under the knife for big curves and full derrieres. but the new pippa butt is popular with the petite crowd. >> i think every girl wants a bootee. >> reporter: miami single mom, christina valdez, has set her sights on a slimmer waste and rounder butt. but not too round. >> i've had a little bit of a complex with my stomach. and, you know, trying to fill in the backside a little more. >> reporter: and it was that royal wedding that sealed the plastic surgery deal. >> her frame just looked incredible if that dress. i'm like, that's it. this is it. i have to look like her. if she can look petite and great and wear it so elegantly and have a nice backside to her, so can i. >> in this wedding gown, she's created a little bit of a stir. she's gorgeous in them. she's very, very pretty. >> reporter: miami surgeon dr. costantino mendieta, says

80% of his work is now butt-lifts, with 20% of those requests for pippa's rear. >> i'm going to focus in the upper part of her buttocks zone. as you can see, i'm going to try to bring that body in. what that does is it takes a square shape more into an "a" shape, which is more of the ideal look. >> i would love to be able to wear a very nice, fitted dress, a pretty gown, and, you know, have my waistline back. and a nice rump to go with it. >> reporter: the pippa butt-lift will use liposuction to take fat from christina's stomach, and inject it into her backside. the slimmer waist and contour her rear for the perky pippa butt. christina had to gain weight for this entrepreneur because new fat is easier to shape and mold than old fat. >> if you ask women, would you like a sexier, curvaceous buttocks, it would almost be an

overwhelming yes. >> reporter: the surgery takes just two hours. and six weeks later, christina is ready to show off her curves. look at the difference. this is christina in a bikini before. and here she is after. she went from a size 6 to a size 2. and look at how her waist slimmed down. how does your derriere feel? >> amazing. i love the results. it looks beautiful. it feels great. i feel sexy. >> reporter: so sexy that she's hit the mall for the clothes she has always dreamed to be wearing. like this slinky dress. are you forced to get a new wardrobe with your new body? >> yes. most of my wardrobe i had to donate or give away. it wouldn't come past my thighs. >> reporter: that's a big change for you. >> it is. >> reporter: there's so many things out there for women, the butt pads. why go so far as to get surgery? >> well, at the end of the day, when you're home alone with your

significant other or partner, the clothes come off. i want it to be mine and feel sexy and have it and not worry about stuffing my backside. >> reporter: it hasn't been easy. christina still has trouble sitting for long periods. and there's a chance that her rear will shrink in the months to come. but for now, all's well that ends well. >> i feel amazing. i feel a sense of security that i never felt before. >> reporter: she can barely sit through our interview. but she does look good. here's good news if you're thinking about this. according to a new medical study, getting liposuction can be good for your health. it can lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes. there's one thing i want to address. pippa was accused of getting butt pads in her dress. she never addressed that. if surgery is not for you, maybe you can get the shapewear. >> seems more reasonable than resculpting. thank you very much. would you get plastic surgery to

look like a celebrity? vote now using the "gma" app on your smartphone. or go to abcnews.com/gma. robin and george? >> i think the question would be which celebrity? >> exactly. lara, thanks. you know, on the dance floor things are even tough. and last night, the second couple booted off "dancing with the stars." and they're joining us, now, live here in los angeles. elisabetta canalis, and her partner, val chmerkovskiy. you look so cute and happy right now. >> it's makeup. >> you were watching the piece we just did on pippa and the enhancement. i saw that you were -- elisabetta, you were zoned in on that. were you? >> you were? >> i was very zoned in. that was a good -- you know, something interesting to wake up to.

>> what fun. what fun. >> how are you feeling this morning, elisabetta? you know, going through this process. >> uh-huh. so, of course, i'm not very happy. i wouldn't be here, not because of you guys. but i would like to be in the competition still. >> i'll bet. and, val, this was your first time out, actually dancing. we've seen you play the violin before. you left too soon. >> yeah. i was concerned? >> no. you left too soon. >> oh, i left too soon. you know, everything happens for a reason. i was very excited to be here. i was very privileged to be among such a great crowd. you know, huge talent. i did my best. i hope she enjoyed it. >> it was not enough, with me. i'm not that -- i've never been a great dancer. and val did everything he could

do for me to help me. so -- >> we had a great time. >> yeah. we had a great time. >> well, i know, a great teacher that val is. he taught me to get ready for my. he's wonderful. and a little misunderstood, i think. it's tough love that he -- you know, he's very demanding. we want to play a little bit because you get along really well right now. but we saw in rehearsal that sometimes it got a little tense. here's a look. >> go away from me. yes. with your head. why can't you look at me? >> oh. >> can you stop telling me to relax, please. i just want to make sure that you know this is your competition, right? this is your quick-step. but as a student, you body language is telling me you really don't want to learn. you really don't want to learn. that's what i mean. i feel like as a student, you need to be a little more enthusiastic. >> oh, my god.

it's like being in a kindergarten. come on. >> that was fun to go back to those moments, huh? >> we had better moments. much better moments. during our rehearsals. >> i -- i can't apologize for that. i think it's reality. this is my first season. i was just acting like myself. you know, there was a lot of joking and a lot of great fun moments. unfortunately, they showed the bumps. but that's reality. that's life. you know, whenever you're under pressure, patience sometimes, and tensions sometimes flare. you know, i didn't want to be fake and camouflage those things. >> so, val? val, was your big brother nice about all this? >> i'm sorry? >> is your big brother nice about all this? >> my big brother? >> was he nice about all this? what did he say after?

>> after yesterday's results? he was disappointed. he was upset. i think, you know, elisabetta showed huge improvement. and i felt she should have been rewarded a little bit better than she was. >> it's a competition. had success from the beginning. so, it's okay. it's a life. and i had a great experience. and i want to thank everybody because it really was a dream for me to be here. >> sweet of you to say. and sweet of you all to get up. val, love you. thank you. i'll tell you what. you have got a great future. i hope you come back here to new york. >> thank you, robin. i miss you, robin. >> he can dance. congratulations for making it this far. and we can see it again monday. >> that's right. coming up monday. "dancing with the stars" monday at 8:00, 7:00 central on abc.

now maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate. we are track storms right now. and this could be serious business. maryland's most powerful doppler radar and-- radar and we have columbia heavy rain vivid light nipping rainfall rates southwest columbia close to two inches per hour and this is knock on your doorstep spreading towards elliot site. heavy rain is knock knocking on the doorstep of annapolis and time this out between 8 and 9 and that's case this morning. we are tracking this around baltimore beltway. coming up from the dc area that's the back edge but looking at this clust they are morning passing through. and now howard carroll county getting it and baltimore and harford and cecil later at tail

end of the commute after 9 or 10 up toward the northeastern sections. tracking system what looks like a wave of low pressure wrapping around the pain parent storm to the west. very sticky muggy morning and it's going to be a warm one this afternoon 78 which will fuel more storms with locally heavy downpours and that could continue throughton and we will go back down to 64. how about the traffic on the south side where the storm are. >> reporter: we will watch that area. right now, harford road is closed in both directions at fallston due to an accident. look at the traffic cameras slow going on the outer loop old court road near 795. it's going to be slow from reisterstown road to edmonton and slow bel air road to the 83s. this is 95 southbound north of white marsh boulevard. we have seen some improvement here. and an accident had been reported here up ahead. look like it cleared out of the way and things are moving better. traffic lights out rossville at mace avenue. so be aware of that.

that's traffic and now back to new york and "good morning america."

♪ baby, baby, oh baby animals taking over times square. our dear friend, jack hanna, is here with some adorable little ones. including a zebra? wildebeest? and a lynx? >> the lynx is right there. oh. >> we'll talk to jack. and emeril's coming up. he has some great, new dishes from his new cook book "sizzling skillets" everything in one pot. >> being here every morning, tasting that delicious food. first, we go to josh, who is with dr. richard besser. >> we're starting a brand-new series. very exciting. it's "doc for a day."

dr. richard besser along. and you get to practice medicine in very cool places. kind of like a "field of dreams." there was one particular field that you had an interest in. >> when they said they wanted to do the series, there was one place i wanted to go. most people think of doctors, medical offices and hospitals are probably what come to mind. but doctors are really everywhere that people gather. an one of those places is sports stadiums. everyone out there, hum a few bars of "take me out to the ball game" and batter up. ♪ turner field in atlanta, georgia, is home to my favorite team, the atlanta braves. >> braves number one. >> reporter: today, there's a new player on the field. me. >> number 22, dr. richard besser. [ shutters clicking ] >> reporter: is that working? no. >> somebody's laughing at you.

>> you can't be laughing at me. >> i'm not laughing at you. you look good. >> reporter: i wish. i'm here today as a designated doctor. but today, i'm "doc for a day." players get hurt. and so do people in the stands. >> oh, my goodness. >> reporter: i'm going behind the dugout of major league baseball, to see what happens in major league medicine. to play nearly 200 games a year, players need flexibility. it allows them to do this. and this. that's where stretching comes in. even for homer, the braves' mascot. how do these guys prevent injuries? >> to be honest with you, it's a full, year-round job. >> reporter: look at it this way, stretching is so vital to baseball, the seventh inning stretch is built right into the game. ♪ take me out to the ball game >> reporter: the other way. you can tell what position they play by what hurts. pitchers, elbow or shoulder.

fielders, hamstring and groin. >> an overuse game. a game of rotation. we have a sprained ankle on the first base bag. but those two categories is where we see our worst injuries. >> reporter: guess what? these are the same kind of injuries that doctors see in repetitive housework, like washing windows or vacuuming. that third baseman and future hall of famer, chipper jones. at just 39 years old, he's the oldest player on the team. and has sustained 17 injuries in his 18 years in the major leagues. is there a part of your body that you haven't injured? >> probably my brain. that's about it. >> reporter: when you look at how long players usually play, they don't last as long as you've lasted. how have you done it? >> well, i keep myself in shape. i mean, i think the guys that go by the wayside, they go home in the off-season. they eat. they don't run. they don't lift weights. >> reporter: every spectator dreams of catching a stray ball. maybe not this guy, five months

ago, who was holding a newborn. a baseball can easily travel more than 100 miles per hour. so, in some sections, you've got to keep your eyes open, or you can get hurt. the safest spot? the nose bleeds. that's where i put my son. in the target seats, jonathan adams is a first responder. part of turner field's emergency services. he watches to watch that 20-odd foul balls hit into the stands every game haven't hurt anyone. jonathan and i wait for a foul ball. suddenly -- everyone all right? foul ball. everyone's okay. if a fan is hurt, for any reason, medics will be there within 90 seconds, transporting the patient in a souped-up golf cart. to a medical room like this one. the staff here sees about 20 emergencies per game and 20 walk-ins. anything from blisters to heart attacks.

this looks like a regular emergency clinic. >> it is. we have it set up similar to a hospital emergency room. we see a lot of heat-related emergencies. >> a lot of people drinking beers wouldn't stay hydrated? >> definitely not. >> reporter: at the end of the game, no medical disasters. a doctor's dream come true. in so many ways. thanks, major league baseball. ouch. and future hall of famer, chipper jones, says it's really important that kids play a variety of sports, not specializing too early. josh, we're seeing so many kids who have elbow surgery before they're even in high school, because they're not playing a variety. his dad said four sports every year. >> you want to see some braves baseball next week? >> i do. and i believe i'm going to see braves baseball next week. go, braves. i want to thank the atlanta braves. they went all-out. access to everything. southern hospitality, you can't beat it. >> thanks, rich. back inside now for the

weather. sam? >> and dr. b. wore that shirt all day long. never took that thing off. all day long. let's get to the boards. we start with twitter pictures this morning. we have a picture out of waldorf, maryland. between showers where a rainbow popped up there between the birds. but more showers and more rain ahead today. you're part of a good, long line of flood watches. i think it's up to six states that have flood watches or warnings. the mid-atlantic getting into new england there. that's where all of the rain will be during the day today. shifting from the great lakes all the way towards the east. but behind it, comes some slightly cooler air to the north there. minneapolis, at 76 degrees. dallas at 94. san antonio at 96. albuquerque at 84 degrees. and phoenix at about 100 degrees again today. sacramento, 93. as you get to the coastline, it's cool again, right up the eastern shore. a quick look at the fly-by because we can. we'll take it from the east, all the way across the country. we go to the west in one, nice, beautiful picture. that's the weather.

>> and all that weather was brought to you by bayer essentials this morning, josh. >> very nice, sam. coming up next, emeril. he's busy in the kitchen. some more one-pot cookery. and i can't wait. come on back.

5e7b now, cooking with emeril, always hot. but this morning, it is sizzling because he's cooking up some one-pot wonders from his brand-new book, "sizzling skillets." whether you're using a pot, a slow-cooker, or a skillet, you can make an awesome meal for the whole family. and he's going to show us right now.

i couldn't wait. i have already grabbed the napkins. >> the smell is in here. it's that very homey -- >> you have a new show. a new book. >> it's a busy week. >> a very busy week. what was the inspiration behind the book? >> like you said. the six cooking vessels that we surveyed. the wok, the skillet, the casserole, the slow-cooker. here's one we're going to do in a cast iron pot. >> wonderful. >> a chicken pot pie. very rustic. and it's topped with biscuits instead of a crust. >> brilliant. >> i browned chicken. you can use chicken thighs. chicken breast, a mixture, whatever. i have skinless, a little healthier. once the chicken's browned in a little bit of olive oil, we're going to add button rumushrooms. a lot of mushrooms. they're going to cook down. they will absorb all of the oil or liquid in there. they are like a sponge. we can add more oil or butter if

you want. we're going to season this with salt. and going to season it with pepper. this is fresh ground that i just ground in here. once the mushrooms stop, we're going to build another level. so, we're going to add onions. >> oh. >> and we're going to add celery. >> i love this already. >> and also, we're going to add -- >> car lrocarrots. >> good. >> and of course, for me, i have to add garlic in here. as much as you want to use. makes you healthy. >> it does. >> once this cooks down for five or six minutes, it looks like this. >> amazing. five or six minutes? >> about six minutes, it looks like that. now, what we want to do, we're going to add a little bit of flour, which is going to thicken it. and is actually going to be the rue. that's the thickening agent. we're going to mix that flour in. now, what we're going to do, once the rue cooks a little bit, we're going to add chicken broth. >> that's what i was waiting for. >> and that's what's going to make the gravy.

it comes to a boil. it's going to make the gravy. at that point, we're going to add the chicken back into it. a little bit of the thyme, and the diced potatoes. and once the starch of the potatoes starts breaking down, it's going to look like this, robin. keep stirring it in. now, what we're going to do is make a very simple biscuit recipe. i flavored the biscuits with tarragon. we're going to brush them with butter. and we play them on top. >> you don't want them touching, right? >> don't want them touching. they're going to expand. butter them. put them on top. and you bake for 20 minutes. and the dish looks like this. it is really awesome. it feeds 8 to 12 people. >> wow. >> another dish from "sizzling skillets" i have these great pork chops that are sauteed with these spices.

unusual spices like cardimom, cumin. and to go with that, a bali recipe with mushrooms and acorn squash. acorn squash, high in vitamins and really good for you. you can get all of these recipes on "gma," abcnews.com/recipes. how is it, sam? >> i'm telling you. i already ate mine. before the segment started. it's delicious. >> the key is really, what i call slow and low. and in the book, whether we use the slow-cooker or the wok -- what i did, george, was basically surveyed, cooks. what the six most popular cooking vessels that people are using at home to do home food? of course, cast iron was in there. predominantly in the south. slow-cookers were in there. a wok, for a crazy reason is in there. and a skillet, a casserole. what we did was we chapterized, by vessel, by cooking vessel. so, each chapter is a cooking vessel that has the recipes.

>> putting the casserole right in the oven. >> exactly. and people want to make it simple. they want to take it out of the oven and put it on the table. oh, that's the ticket right there. >> i want some hot. >> that's the ticket. >> emeril, i know you lost somebody very dear to you recently. >> yes. this week, a really, really family friend. she was like a second mom. inez costa, passed away. 79 years old. she was a lady i remember when i was like 5 years old. i would go into her restaurant, which is in front of our house. i would sit at the stool, watch her cook. she would tell me stories about cooking. she was a very, very special lady. i know she's going to go in great places. >> i know how proud she was of you. didn't you change her recipe a little bit? >> even at 78. great lady. god bless her. >> okay. >> anyhow, "sizzling skillets" guys. >> you can get these recipes, as he said, abcnews.com/recipes.

next, jack hanna. >> jack hanna's in the house. >> with little babies. >> he's in great shape, by the way.

strap on your seat belts, everyone, because jack hanna is in the house, the director emeritus of the columbus zoo. >> this is a wildebeest about six or seven weeks old. the mother didn't take care of it. in the serengeti, where we film the great migration, it's like ants, tens of thousands going like this.

one like this, would never make it for several reasons. keeping up with the whole herd. number two, crocodiles. the crocodiles wait for the great migration. especially the wildebeest because they have to go across several rivers. that's the big problem. wildebeest, you see with big, old beards. they say -- >> yeah. how big will she get? >> she is get up to 500, 600 pounds. >> i was tweeting. i described her like a skinny cow with high energy. >> they're made of many parts, the wildebeest. they're a neat animal. it tells us about africa. without the wildebeest, you would not have lions, leopards. all would disappear. >> they have to prey on this animal. >> what do they eat? >> just grasses. they migrate north and come south. it looks like a dozer went through as they come across. the grasses grow back up. >> i think ziggy's calmed down now? a little bit of a feeding right

there. >> this is a zebra. >> we're hoping the milk might soothe the savage ziggy. >> ziggy is still on coffee break. >> oh. >> these are the -- >> i would be holding a lynx. >> they can't bring -- they won't bring out their claws. >> tropical. >> these are siberian lynx, everyone. >> he's licking me. >> the siberian lynx is virtually extinct in the wild. 50 pounds to 60 pounds. >> oh. pork chop. >> you see the back foot here. it's hard to see. >> ooh. how are you doing? >> you see the back foot on the camera, this is like a snowshoe. this gets huge. and the animal cannot run on the pads of his feet. he has to run on the whole back part there. now mother nature creates the animals for their environment is amazing. >> the thing really fascinating with this little frisky friend is the ears. really big and fluffy. >> big and fluffy.

they also have white spots on the back of the ears. you see it right there. those are called eye spots. the animals eating something, another animal will try to eat it. but they think they're looking backwards with the eye spots. several animals have those. >> this one is calm. >> maybe they see the zebra there. >> how big will they get? >> 50 or 60 pounds. they turn a whitish color in wintertime. they eat rodents and things like that. >> and they can see little mice from so far away. >> it's amazing. they can hop like you wouldn't believe. they were hunted back almost to extinction in the '60s and '70s for their pelts. >> and here comes ziggy. >> the zebra is a beautiful creature. a common zebra. you see the zebra is a unique creature. black on white, on the coat. >> kind of brownish there.

>> many species of zebra. they have big ears. columbus, ohio, one of the few places that breed the grubby. they're almost extinct in the wild. >> every zebra is different. >> exactly. we take pictures. it's like a thumbprint. every print -- they even take the rear shots. everything is different on every zebra. good point. >> why is she so amped up? >> it's a zebra. >> they're naturally -- >> this is reminding me of the first time i brought an ostrich here in 1984. it had diaarrhediarrhea. it was a mess. >> was that dave hartman? >> yeah. he didn't like it. >> that's what we call a tv moment, jack. >> not this morning. they're just having a good breakfast. >> beautiful animals. they really are. >> they are beautiful. >> is she hiccupping? >> no. it's fine. >> jack, i have never seen you this nervous. >> no, no. i'm fine. >> okay.

thanks a lot for coming in this morning. >> thank you. >> "jack hanna's wild [ female announcer ] this is steve and lynn, and they have a good question.

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emeril, this is your first time on this couch. what do you think? >> pretty comfortable. >> we'll have the meaning of that after the show. have a great day, everyone. now maryland's most powerful doppler radar and the forecast certified most accurate by weatherate.

minutes before nine. look we spent all morning tracking this thing. and the timing worked out well and we are watching the main cluster of storms and it's losing some of the punch. but nice little flow of air you see a little ark here pushing itself towards owings mills pikesville and rifters hetown. this is the cluster that just hit columbia in ellicott city. lightning intensity is pulling back a little bit. and it's the west side of the beltway getting hit hard up towards carroll county. we have had it up and down 95. still a cluster on the east side of the dc beltway and pushing east on 50. annapolis you missed out. but you going to get hit. you will get the final surge with this little cluster and i believe it's going dump heavy rain and you could wind up with one inch per hour rates. and at least we are losing most of the lightning strikes with a lot of the energy from this band extending to the eastern shore. and you see it. cambridge helding up towards southern care line county. fed ralsburg and denton a nice

surge of storm this is really potent vivid lightning strikes and probably rainfall rates close to the # 1/2 to 2 inch perhour rates producing localized flooding. we are watching the morning event here, the thing will be to decide whether the atmosphere is going to recharge itself and we are in a south eastern flow. that may enhance some of the rainfall and our inhouse adoneis computer model shows the influence of the eastern wind with a cluster this afternoon from the delmarva trying to work its way through. but the mainline connected to the parent storm back in the midwest. locked up into the mountain. more showers and storms push through for the next few days but today it's about the potential of flooding. and 78 degrees. we are back into the 60s overnight. and a quick peek at highs in the 60s this weekend.